The Reality of Heaven

Pastor’s Pen…
One of our church members, attending services last Sunday for the first time since the pandemic closed us down, commented, “It is such a joy to see our church people in person!” We will again hold services this Sunday, with all safety protocols and pre-service sanitizing in place. No Sunday school yet, and the nursery will not be available.  We will continue following the protocols as outlined by GA-18 guidance.  Face masks are required, social distancing and no physical contact. We will again use bulletins printed untouched by human hands, with songs, etc. printed therein.

On Saturday at 10:30 a small group of us will again meet to sanitize the sanctuary and prepare for Sunday.  If you wish to help, your presence will be greatly appreciated.  

If you feel uncomfortable attending just yet, we understand the uncertainty you feel.  You can join the live-stream on Facebook (at 10:45 am) or the delayed service posted on the website Sunday afternoon.  We are blessed to have the technology available that allow us to still worship, and those in our church family who have the expertise to bring us the service online.

We had nineteen people attending in person last Sunday and several hundred world-wide by way of the live-stream presentation.  We are looking forward to this Sunday.

A recent article excerpt from the British medical journal Lancet suggested that researchers in Singapore found that a combined approach of physical distancing -- quarantining infected individuals and their families, closing schools and practicing workplace distancing -- reduced the estimated median number of COVID-19 cases in the population by as much as 99.3 percent.

Sunday's bulletin will be full with music and responsive reading, so I will include the Pastor’s Pen here. 

The message, “The Reality of Heaven” is taken from Hebrews 11:13-16.
Who would have thought six months ago that a global pandemic would take the lives of over 90,000 US citizens during the first five months of 2020. We have been made more keenly aware of the truth of Hebrews 9:27. “It is appointed for men once to die, but after this the judgment.”
The fear of death is both referenced in Scripture (Hebrews 2:15) and evidenced in our world today. Yet for the believer, “Death is swallowed up in victory,” (1 Corinthians 15:54) since “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8)  As Hebrews 11:13-16 reminds us, we are aliens on earth, looking for that better home in heaven.”
I.               We are foreigners and pilgrims on earth (13)
a.     We must see and welcome God's promises
b.     We see and welcome them from a distance now
c.     As a result, we are alienated from the world
II.             We are witnesses to the reality of heaven (13b)
a.     We confess our status re: this world
b.     We make clear the homeland we seek
III.            We are seeking for ultimate home: heaven (14b-16)
a.     The word “seek” is a strong, intensive word
b.     We cannot go back, even if persecuted
c.     Heaven is so much better than this world
d.     The main thing: We will be with our Savior in a place prepared for us!
My prayer is that the Lord will use this message to motivate us to be sure we have trusted Christ and thus have assurance of our heavenly home, and that we will clearly communicate to others how to be sure they are going. 

Don Hawkins, D. Min.                                                                                                                          Interim Pastor

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